Updating integration metadata in a multi-tenant system

Abstract

Updating integration metadata in a multi-tenant system includes determining at a multi-tenant services management platform that a service provider software code has changed in a manner that affects a canonical feature provided by the multi-tenant service management platform with respect to a service of the service provider to end users associated with one or more tenants of the multi-tenant services management platform, wherein the canonical feature is provided at least in part by interacting with the service provider on the behalf of a user; and implementing at the multi-tenant services management platform, with respect to at least a subset of said one or more tenants, an accommodation that enables the canonical feature to be provided subsequent to the service provider software code having been changed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method performed by a multi-tenant services management platform (MTSMP), wherein the MTSMP is configured to provide a canonical feature with respect to a first service provider and with respect to additional service providers to users associated with one or more tenants of the MTSMP, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a user device, a request for the first service provider to invoke the canonical feature; 
 identifying metadata associated with the first service provider; 
 accessing, within the identified metadata, a metadata portion associated with the canonical feature, wherein the metadata portion enables the MTSMP to communicate with the first service provider to cause the first service provider to invoke the canonical feature; 
 determining that software code associated with the first service provider has changed such that the MTSMP is no longer able to communicate with the first service provider to cause the first service provider to invoke the canonical feature; and 
 modifying the metadata portion such that the MTSMP is once again able to the first service provider to cause the first service provider to invoke the canonical feature. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that software code associated with the first service provider has changed comprises detecting the change at least in part by testing access to the canonical feature. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising using a test account to test access to the canonical feature. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing to one or more of said tenants an incentive to make available a test account for use in testing access to the canonical feature. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the change comprises a software version change. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the change comprises a modification to an Application Programming Interface associated with the first service provider. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising propagating the modification to one or more affected tenants of the MTSMP. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising notifying one or more affected tenants of the MTSMP that the modification is available. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising updating a profile data associated with a tenant to associate the modification with the tenant. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising notifying a member of a developer community of one or both of the change and a need for the modification. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving feedback on the modification from one or more of said tenants. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising delaying implementation of the change with respect to one or more of said tenants until the modification has been received and made available for use. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising implementing the modification, with respect to each of a plurality of affected tenants, in a manner determined at least in part by a preconfigured policy of that tenant. 
     
     
       14. A multi-tenant services management platform (MTSMP) configured to provide a canonical feature with respect to a first service provider and with respect to additional service providers to users associated with one or more tenants of the MTSMP, the MTSMP comprising:
 a processor configured to:
 receive, from a user device, a request for the first service provider to invoke the canonical feature; 
 identify metadata associated with the first service provider; 
 access, within the identified metadata, a metadata portion associated with the canonical feature, wherein the metadata portion enables the MTSMP to communicate with the first service provider to cause the first service provider to invoke the canonical feature; 
 determine that software code associated with the first service provider has changed such that the MTSMP is no longer able to communicate with the first service provider to cause the first service provider to invoke the canonical feature; and 
 modify the metadata portion such that the MTSMP is once again able to communicate with the first service provider to cause the first service provider to invoke the canonical feature; and 
 
 a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions. 
 
     
     
       15. The MTSMP of  claim 14 , wherein determining that software code associated with the first service provider has changed comprises detecting the change at least in part by testing access to the canonical feature. 
     
     
       16. The MTSMP of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide to one or more of said tenants an incentive to make available a test account for use in testing access to the canonical feature. 
     
     
       17. The MTSMP of  claim 14 , wherein the change comprises a software version change. 
     
     
       18. The MTSMP of  claim 14 , wherein the change comprises a modification to an Application Programming Interface associated with the first service provider. 
     
     
       19. The MTSMP of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to propagate the modification to one or more affected tenants of the MTSMP. 
     
     
       20. The MTSMP of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to notify one or more affected tenants of the MTSMP that the modification is available. 
     
     
       21. The MTSMP of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to notify a member of a developer community of one or both of the change and a need for the modification. 
     
     
       22. The MTSMP of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to delay implementation of the change with respect to one or more of said tenants until the modification has been received and made available for use. 
     
     
       23. The MTSMP of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to implement the modification, with respect to each of a plurality of affected tenants, in a manner determined at least in part by a preconfigured policy of that tenant. 
     
     
       24. A computer program product for a multi-tenant services management platform (MTSMP) to provide a canonical feature with respect to a first service provider and with respect to additional service providers to users associated with one or more tenants of the MTSMP, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
 receiving, from a user device, a request for the first service provider to invoke the canonical feature; 
 identifying metadata associated with the first service provider; 
 accessing, within the identified metadata, a metadata portion associated with the canonical feature, wherein the metadata portion enables the MTSMP to communicate with the first service provider to cause the first service provider to invoke the canonical feature; 
 determining that software code associated with the first service provider has changed such that the MTSMP is no longer able to communicate with the first service provider to cause the first service provider to invoke the canonical feature; and 
 modifying the metadata portion such that the MTSMP is once again able to communicate with the first service provider to cause the first service provider to invoke the canonical feature. 
 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the canonical feature comprises a central point of user account management for the first service provider and for the additional service providers. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 25 , wherein user account management comprises user account creation. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 25 , wherein user account management comprises user account deactivation. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the canonical feature comprises single-portal access to services from the first service provider and from the additional service providers. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the canonical feature comprises central performance management for the first service provider and for the additional service providers. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the canonical feature comprises a dashboard showing response times for the first service provider and for the additional service providers.